Step 1

OPTIONAL but recommended: Pour aquafaba through a clean sieve and place in a spotlessly clean pot and allow it to simmer until reduced by half, which (depending on the surface area of your pot and the level of heat) will take 8-12 minutes for this amount of aquafaba. Cool it right down before next step - it should look quite gelatinous once cold.

Step 2

Pre-heat the oven to 170° C / 340° F and line a large baking tray with a piece of baking paper. Using a large cookie cutter and a pencil, mark out four 9 cm / 3½ inch diameter circles on the baking paper, allowing ample of space around each.

Step 3

Place cool aquafaba (if not reducing aquafaba, use 120 ml / ½ cup only) in a spotless metal or glass bowl. Using an electric whisk, whip until foamy (see photo in the post) before adding in cream of tartar.

Step 4

Carry on whipping until aquafaba is so stiff that inverting the bowl does not make it move. Once you reach that point, start adding sugar VERY SLOWLY - adding each tablespoon of sugar very gradually whilst whipping and counting slowly to 30 after each addition.

Step 5

Once all the sugar has been incorporated, test a little bit of mixture between your fingers, it should not feel gritty - if it does, it means that not all of the sugar has dissolved (which may cause your pavlova to weep) and it needs to be whipped until smooth.

Step 6

Whisk in cornstarch and xanthan gum, if using.

Step 7

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or use your spoon to shape the pavolvas. If using a piping bag, be careful not to squeeze to too tighly and leave a small gap between the nozzle and the baking paper when piping as this will trap air bubbles in.

Step 8

Pipe pavlovas within the circles you've drawn or use your spoon to heap the mixture on and then shape it, creating a dent in the middle with the back of your spoon.

Step 9

Reduce oven temperature to 100° C / 210° F and bake for 1 hr, then prop the oven door with a wooden spoon and allow pavlovas to cool gradually in the oven (approx. 2 hrs or even overnight if making a day in advance).

Step 10

Place cranberries in a medium size pot together with 60 ml / ¼ cup water, sugar and orange zest (if using). Mix well.

Step 11

Simmer on low heat, stirring the whole time until cranberries have split, become soft and their juices thickened. Cool before using.

Step 12

Whip vegan cream until fluffy, sweeten with a little icing sugar and fold in vanilla.

Step 13

Spoon whipped cream and cooled cranberries over cold pavlovas. Serve immediately.